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THE MAESTRO

Rodolfo Fernandez is a cellist. He is also an arranger, an orchestrator, a conductor, an educator, and a motivator who has brought beautiful music to the people of the Las Vegas Valley for thirty-five years. But he does more than perform and conduct, he helps people discover the music within themselves.

A native of Chile, Rodolfo earned his Master's in Music Performance from the University of Santiago and won a position with the national Philharmonic Orchestra. He was soon recognized for his artistry as a cellist and was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant which brought him to the United States where he joined the Atlanta Symphony as Asst. Principal Cellist.

Accepting a position on the music faculty of the University of South Florida at Tampa, he twice received a Ford Foundation grant to perform as Principal Cellist of the Daytona Beach Music Festival sponsored by the London Symphonic Orchestra. During the Festival he performed with Sir Nelson Cooke, Andre Previn, Richard Burgin and Simon Goldberg.

Over the next several years he performed as Principal Cellist with the Ft. Lauderdale Symphony, Miami Opera Company under William Buckley, and the Tampa Philharmonic among others, and toured nationally and internationally as a featured soloist with the North Carolina Symphony, Louisiana Symphony, National Symphony of Bogota, Colombia and the Swiss Chamber Orchestra.

In 1972 he made his national debut as a concert cellist at Carnegie Hall.

In 1975 he moved to Las Vegas. His new home presented many exciting opportunities including a chance to work and study with world renowned cellist Ennio Bolognini.

In 1976 he became a founding member and leader of the Nevada String Quartet, which presented a full classical music season annually for seven years. He later formed the Serenata Violoncello Trio and developed their touring programs, "Cellos Sing Opera" and "En Pointe!"
sponsored by the Nevada Humanities Committee. The Trio toured for two years throughout Southern Nevada's rural and urban communities including, Round Mountain, Tonopah, Indian Springs, the Amargosa Valley, Caliente, Laughlin and Mesquite.

In 1985 he founded the Serenate Chamber Orchestra which presented a full classical concert season free to the public. In 1986, Maestro Fernandez made his national conducting debut with the orchestra at Moscone Center in San Francisco as Ambassadors of Culture for the City of Las Vegas by appointment of the Mayor of Las Vegas, Bill Briar.

In 1989, the orchestra was expanded and the name changed to the Nevada Chamber Symphony.

In 1994, with the support and assistance of interested citizens and musicians, the orchestra was incorporated into a non-profit association in the state of Nevada.

In 1999 Maestro Fernandez was presented the Millennium Governor's Arts Award for Service to the Arts. In 2010, in recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the orchestra, he was presented a Senatorial Commendation and Proclamation prepared by Senator Steven A. Horsford and presented by Senator Joyce Woodhouse.

Under the baton of the Maestro, the Nevada Chamber Symphony presented the gift of beautiful music to the citizens of Southern Nevada for 31 years..